KR102033046B1 - System and method for converting electromagnetic radiation to electrical energy - Google Patents

Abstract

A nanoantenna is disclosed that includes a resonant structure tuned to capture energy emitted at a resonant frequency, such as heat or light, and a transfer structure that converts the captured energy into electrical energy. Co-planar strips (CPS) can be used to provide impedance matching between the resonant structural element and the transfer structure. The array of nanoantennas forms a nanoantenna array to provide electrical energy output from the plurality of nanoantennas. The nanoantenna array can be coupled to a device or device as a power source.

Description

System and method for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy {SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR CONVERTING ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION TO ELECTRICAL ENERGY}

[Cross Reference of Related Application]

This application claims the benefit of US Provisional Application No. 61 / 569,205, filed December 9, 2011, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

[Technical Field]

Embodiments of the present invention generally relate to structures and methods for harvesting energy from electromagnetic radiation, and in particular to harvesting energy from, for example, infrared, near infrared and visible spectra and to energy in millimeters and terahertz. To nanostructures and related methods and systems for capturing the structure.

There is a great need for cheap renewable energy worldwide. Ironically, there is abundant energy available in the form of sunlight and heat, but the use of this energy to support such needs of our society requires the conversion of this energy into electrical form. Most of the electrical energy used today comes from conversion processes involving heat. Electrical generation plants powered by nuclear, coal, diesel, and natural gas all convert the stored form of energy into heat for conversion to electricity. The processes of these power plants are inefficient and often produce more heat than is converted to electricity.

Harvesting the heat sources with available power is particularly desirable at low cost. In this respect, the cost of turbine-based solutions is well established. The existence of new technical solutions to the conversion of heat into power means the entry of a relatively mature environment. Because of this need and a fixed cost environment, new technologies are trying to address these areas. Among the new technologies are thermo photovoltaic (TPV), thermoelectric (TE) and organic rankine cycle (ORC).

TPV technology has been a difficult time to undergo thermal conversion because photovoltaic (PV) converts shortwave radiation and does not convert longwaves found in infrared (IR) and near infrared. New micron gap methods of bringing this long wave energy into PV cells still require conversion techniques more appropriate for this influx of long wave radiation. The PV cell band gap is favored only for energetic photons because low energy photons do not have energy to overcome the gap and are eventually absorbed to generate heat in the PV cell. to be.

TE only converted heat to power with low efficiency. To date, TE has not found a breakthrough to provide significant efficiency in energy conversion. Even so, TE has been found to have the application of automatic waste heat recovery, which is said to be the most needed for alternative thermo-electric conversion techniques.

ORC technology harvests waste heat by chaining turbines together with heat exchangers, each of which has a low breakpoint liquid in the system of the technology. These systems are bulky and have a number of moving parts. They are also limited to the properties of the liquids and ultimately to the limitations of the marginal results of additional systems in time, space and work space.

The technology of the surfaces of paired nanoantennas and diode arrays presents tremendous advantages for energy harvesting applications. In the area of wasted heat recovery, these systems are ideal because they do not have any moving parts, are cheap to manufacture, and can be tuned to the frequency spectrum of the target source. The ability to tune the system's collecting elements to the spectral characteristics of the source makes this system ideal for waste heat applications as well as heat harvesting in general and ultimately also for solar energy harvesting. For ease of discussion, the collector array components of these systems are called Nanoantenna Electromagnetic Collectors (NECs).

One embodiment of the invention is an energy harvesting system. The basis for the elements of this system can be found in US Pat. Nos. 7,792,644 and 6,534,784 B2 and in US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2010/0284086 and 2006/0283539, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Is incorporated by reference. This embodiment includes resonant elements tuned to frequencies in the range of available radiant energy. Typically, these frequencies are in the frequency range from about 10 THz in infrared to frequencies above 1000 THz (visible light). The resonant elements are composed of an electrically conductive material and are coupled with a transfer element for converting simulated electrical energy into direct current in the resonant element to form pairs of resonant and transfer elements. The resonant element and transfer element pairs consist of arrays embedded and interconnected to a substrate, for example, to form a source for an electrical circuit or other apparatus or device that requires sourced electrical energy to operate. In an embodiment, the resonant elements may be connected to the transmission elements via an impedance balancing technique, such as a co-planar strip (CPS) transmission line or other device or technique that balances the impedance between the elements. Other methods of impedance matching can also be used as discussed in detail below.

Also included is a ground plane of conductive material set to a distance of a quarter wavelength from the resonant element that creates a resonant gap to reflect the unabsorbed radiation back into the resonant elements. All components, elements and substrates of this embodiment are composed of metals and materials that allow them to be manufactured in a low cost method such as roll-to-roll.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, another energy harvesting system is provided. The system includes a ground plane, a substrate and resonant elements, and transfer elements. In this system, the resonant elements are tuned to frequencies in IR or IR and near infrared, so that the system can harvest energy radiated from the heat sources. The specific nature of the heat harvesting environments can dictate limited flexibility high temperature tolerance substrate materials that can alter roll-to-roll production methods. This system can be used in any application for converting heat, such as waste heat from coal power plants, into electricity, or even replace a turbine in electricity generation applications.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, another energy harvesting system is provided. The system includes a ground plane, a substrate, resonant elements, and transfer elements. In this system, the resonant elements are tuned to frequencies in IR or IR and near infrared, so that the system can harvest from heat sources. In this embodiment, the NEC system interfaces with conventional TPV systems to convert incoming long wave energy into electricity, serving as collectors of these TPV systems. In this embodiment, the TPV system is significantly improved by the ability of the NEC system layer to convert incoming emitter radiation into the spectral form of this radiation. In one form of this embodiment, no filter layer is needed since the NEC system is configured to harvest a broad spectrum. In other embodiments, there may be some advantages of filtering a portion of the incoming spectral energy and reflecting it back to the emitter. In any case, the NEC layer drastically reduces the material requirements of the TPV filter, which has significant advantages.

According to another embodiment of the present invention, another energy harvesting system is provided. The system includes a ground plane, a substrate, resonant elements, and transfer elements. In this system, the resonant elements are tuned to frequencies in IR or IR and near infrared, so that the system can harvest energy radiated from the heat sources. In this embodiment, the NEC system interfaces with conventional micron gap TPV (MTPV) systems to serve as a collector of MTPV systems to convert incoming long wave energy into electricity.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an antenna having a CPS and a diode according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary antenna, substrate, and ground plane in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary delivery structure for connecting antenna segments in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary bus illustrating the interconnecting elements of an array in accordance with an embodiment of the invention.
5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an antenna having a CPS connected by a plurality of transfer structures to reduce impedance / resistance.
6 is a schematic diagram of an MTPV device having an NEC layer for harvesting according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 illustrates the use of NEC harvesting material in a TPV device in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
8 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary overall system diagram for powering a device or apparatus using an NEC film in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention.
9 is a diagram of an exemplary heat source and NEC film for heat harvesting according to an embodiment of the invention.
10 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary diode region connecting resonant structure segments for a single layer diode made of the same material as the antenna.
11 is a cross-sectional view of an exemplary diode region connecting the resonant structure segments for a single layer diode composed of a material different from the antenna.

The following detailed description is presented to those skilled in the art to make and use the invention, and is provided in the context of the present application and its requirements. Various modifications to the described embodiments will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art, and the generic principles herein may be applied to other embodiments. Thus, the present invention is not intended to be limited to the embodiments shown, but is to be construed to the broadest scope consistent with the principles and features described herein.

1 is a schematic diagram illustrating an antenna having a CPS and a diode according to an embodiment of the present invention. Referring to FIG. 1, a resonant structure in accordance with an embodiment includes resonant structural components 101 and 102 (also referred to herein as resonant structural elements). In an embodiment, the resonant structure is an antenna or nanoantenna. The resonant structural components 101 and 102 are connected to the transmission structure 103 by the CPS 105. The transfer structure 103 converts electrical energy simulated by the resonant structure components 101 and 102 into direct current. The CPS 105 creates a mechanism for matching the impedance between the resonant structural elements 101 and 102 and the transfer structure 103.

The dimensions of the antenna or nanoantenna are selected according to the desired frequency range of interest. Materials and scales are selected by the methods described in US Pat. No. 7,792,644 and US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0284086.

In one embodiment, the transfer structure is a metal double insulator metal (MIIM) diode. Exemplary such MIIM is described in US Pat. No. 6,534,784, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. This type of diode is advantageous for the embodiment because the diode consists of layers of metals and insulators. This structure allows the diode to be manufactured in a manner consistent with the manufacture of resonant structures composed of layers of metal. For example, such a structure is described with respect to FIG. 2.

2 is a cross-sectional view taken along line AA ′ of an exemplary antenna, substrate, and ground plane in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. 2 shows the substrate and embedded resonant structural elements 101 and 102 as resonant structural layer elements 201 and 202. Additionally, resonant gaps 204 and 205 of the substrate S material are shown between each of the resonant structure layer elements 202 and 201 and the ground plane 203. Exemplary materials for embodiments of the IR region include metals such as Ni, Ag, or Au in the ground plane and resonant structures, and dielectrics transparent to IR, such as Kapton of polyimide material. do. The resonance gap distance is determined through peak frequency selection and is preferably 1/4 wavelength. The operation of resonant structure layer elements 201 and 202, resonant gaps 204 and 205 and ground plane 203 are described in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0284086, which is incorporated herein in its entirety. Is incorporated by reference.

3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line B-B 'of an exemplary delivery structure 103 of a CPS 105 used to connect antenna segments in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in FIG. 3, the transmission structure 103 is a material connected to two CPS elements 105 (which is ultimately connected to the resonant structural components 101 and 102 as shown in FIG. 1). Layers.

In an embodiment, the metal layer 304 forms a bottom layer of the MIIM diode structure that serves as part of the transfer structure. The metal region 305 connects the metal layer 304 to the resonant structure layer element 202, thereby providing an electrically conductive path to the antenna layer element 202. Insulating layers 302 are deposited on metal layer 304. Exemplary deposition of such insulating layers is described in US Pat. No. 6,534,784, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Finally, a metal top layer 301 is deposited to complete the electrical connection to the CPS 105 / resonant structural element 101 (see FIG. 1) and to complete the MIIM diode structure. Other transfer schemes are possible to provide impedance balancing. For example, there are ballistic diodes, geometric diodes, pin point diodes. Some of these other delivery structures may not require multiple layers for operation as described in this embodiment or may require different numbers of layers and other geometries.

4 is a schematic diagram of an exemplary bus illustrating the interconnecting elements of an array in accordance with an embodiment of the invention. 4 shows sub-arrays 405 of the resonant structural elements described above having series interconnect leads 401 and 402. The plurality of sub-arrays 405 are interconnected in parallel to the leads 403 and 404 to provide power to a device, such as an electrical circuit, or another device or apparatus that requires electrical energy to operate.

This combination of a plurality of sub-arrays 405 may be implemented in large surface areas of the material produced by inexpensive methods. For example, one such method of implementing a combination of a plurality of sub-arrays 405 in a large surface area of material is described for roll-to-roll production in US Patent Application Publication No. 2006/028353, The disclosure is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. Such a structure can form an energy harvesting component for a myriad of embodiments and is termed an NEC film for identification and discussion herein. In an embodiment, the manufacturing process does not require doping.

8 is a schematic diagram of an example overall system diagram for powering a device or apparatus using the NEC membrane element 801. NMC membrane element 801 is interconnected to power inverter 803. The power inverter 803 converts the DC output from the NEC element 801 into a power suitable for driving AC electronic equipment or being introduced into the electrical grid as power available at the load 804.

In another embodiment of the invention, the NEC membrane serves as the collector 602 in the MTPV system. 6 is a schematic diagram of a typical MTPV system as described, for example, in US Patent Application Publication No. 2010/0319749, which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In a conventional MTPV embodiment, the emitter layer 601 is located at the optimal sub-micron gap distance G from the window material 603 by spacers 605. Window layer 603 is then attached to collector 602 by an adhesive layer 604. When using an NEC film as the collector layer 602 in an MTPV system in accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, the NEC film collector 602 best matches the spectral content of the emitted radiation. Can be configured to The connection of collectors 602 to a comprehensive system as shown in FIG. 8 in connection with a heat source as shown in FIG. 9 is also implemented. The use of the NEC film 602 in MTPV systems offers unique advantages because the spectral output to the NEC film 602 through the layers of the MTPV may be matched to the frequency spectrum design of the array of resonant elements in the NEC layer. Because it can. This optimizes efficiency and reduces energy loss to heat in the system.

Embodiments of the present invention are useful in a variety of applications because they can generate electricity from heat sources. 7 shows a conventional TPV device using NEC film 703 tuned to the spectral content of the energy emitted by the emitter to harvest that energy and generate electricity. In a conventional TPV device, emitter 701 is heated by flame source 704 and generates radiation. The radiation produced by emitter 701 passes through filter 702. The filter 702 is designed to only pass radiation in the collector's collection band.

An advantage over conventional TPV systems, provided by embodiments of the present invention, is the ability to tune arrays of resonant structures to the requirements of the source. For example, in an embodiment of TPV using NEC film 703 as a collector, the source is emitter 701. Hot emitters are black bodies and their emission spectra are well known. The design and modeling of the antenna structures to match the incoming spectrum is described in US Pat. No. 7,792,644. Creating a collector 703 that fits into the spectral output of emitter 701 greatly reduces the requirements for filter 702 and may even completely eliminate the need for filter 702. This is a significant improvement over conventional TPV systems.

Even incomplete matching of the frequency spectrum of the collector 703 to the incoming spectrum can create a system capable of performing an effective harvest, because the ground plane 203 returns the unconverted radiation back to the emitter. Because it reflects. In some embodiments, this reflected radiation is mixed with what is present in the emitter and displayed on the collector. In this way, a simplified TPV system using only the described collector (NEC film 801) can harvest a significant percentage of the available heat.

In another embodiment, heat is captured from the hot source 901 shown in FIG. 9 shows a diagram of a heat source 901 and collector 902. The collector is the NEC membrane element described above and as part of the system of FIG. 8. In this embodiment, radiation from the source 901 is collected for harvest by the collector 902. The resonant structures of the collector 902 are optimally tuned to collect the emission spectrum of the heat source 901. In this embodiment heat may be emitted from various sources, such as waste heat, direct solar, combustible fuel sources such as coal, nucleation heat, and the like. Since the temperature of these sources can vary significantly, the ability to build an NEC film with resonant structures tuned to the spectral output of the source is a significant advantage over existing technologies.

The antennas in the antenna array of FIG. 4 may be configured (eg, tuned) to provide any desired coverage of the frequency spectrum of a radiant source, such as a heat source. For example, an antenna tuned to the lowest frequency of the spectrum of radiation may harvest energy radiated at the low end of the spectrum, and an antenna tuned to the highest frequency of the plurality of frequencies may be a high end of the frequency spectrum. energy emitted at the end) can be harvested. For example, in an embodiment, the antennas in the antenna array are configured to provide non-uniform coverage of the frequency spectrum.

However, because the radiation source can emit radiation with a non-uniform distribution, the antennas in the antenna array can be configured to more accurately approximate the spectral distribution of the emitted radiation. For example, heat sources emit radiation in a black body curve. Thus, the antennas in the antenna array can be configured to provide non-uniform coverage of the frequency spectrum of a typical heat source.

For example, because a blackbody emits most of its energy in the central portions of the curve, in an embodiment, a large number of antennas in the array are tuned to frequencies near this central portion. In general, in an embodiment, providing non-uniform coverage of the spectral distribution of a radiation source is dependent upon a histogram that approximates the spectral distribution of the radiation source at multiple frequencies or frequency ranges of each of the radiation sources. You can devote antennas. Radiating sources other than the heat source may also benefit from a non-uniform distribution of frequencies to which the antennas in the antenna array are tuned.

Additionally, the antennas in these arrays can be distributed spatially to evenly distribute the antennas of various frequencies across the surface. This distribution can avoid clustering of antennas of the same frequency and increase the overall efficiency of the NEC film.

Matching impedance of the resonant structure and the transfer structure is an important aspect of the embodiments. 5 shows an additional method of matching these impedances. 5 is a schematic diagram illustrating an antenna having a CPS that is connected by a plurality of transfer structures to reduce impedance / resistance. In the embodiment of FIG. 5, the plurality of transfer structures 103 are connected in parallel to the resonant structure components 101 and 102 to reduce the impedance of the transfer structure. The number and location of these transfer structures required depends on the magnitude of the inherent impedance or resistance of the transfer structure. The plurality of delivery structures 103 and CPS 105 may be manipulated in conjunction with each other to optimize impedance matching and other system characteristics. For example, each transfer structure can pass a limited amount of current and present resistance and capacitance to the antenna circuit. Multiple transmission structures in parallel reduce resistance and capacitance. The CPS serves to add impedance to the diagram of the transfer structure 103 of the antenna 102 to assist in balancing, as is known in the art of antenna design.

Other embodiments of the present invention may include other delivery structures by design. FIG. 10 shows an embodiment where the transfer structure 1001 is a single layer composed of the same material as the resonant structure. 11 illustrates an embodiment in which the single layer transfer structure is composed of a material different from the resonant structure. For example, the resonating element 101 may optimally be made of Ag, but may be optimal for the properties of Ni to affect the transfer through 103. This may require a plurality of layers as described.

The above disclosure of preferred embodiments of the present invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed. Many variations and modifications of the embodiments described herein will be apparent to those skilled in the art in light of the above invention. It is intended that the scope of the invention only be defined by the appended claims and equivalents thereof.

In addition, in describing exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the present disclosure may have presented the method and / or process of the present invention as a particular sequence of steps. However, to the extent that the method or process does not depend on the particular order of steps set forth herein, the method or process should not be limited to the particular sequence of steps described. As will be appreciated by one of ordinary skill in the art, other sequences of steps may be possible. Therefore, the particular order of steps presented herein should not be construed as limitations on the claims. In addition, the claims relating to the methods and / or processes of the present invention should not be limited to performing their steps in the order in which they are written, and those skilled in the art will appreciate that such sequences may vary, and And can still be maintained within range.

Claims (42)

A system for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy,
A radiation source that emits radiation that approximates a black body curve;
A plurality of subarrays of resonant structural elements, each subarray comprising a plurality of resonant structural elements, each resonant structural element tuned to resonate at a resonant frequency comprised in the frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation; tuned, the number of resonant structural elements tuned to a particular frequency in each subarray follows a histogram that approximates the spectral distribution of the radiation source, wherein the electrical energy is at or near the resonant frequency. Stimulated in the resonant structural element in the presence of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency;
A transfer structure associated with each of the resonant structural elements to convert the simulated electrical energy into direct current; And
A bus that connects the resonant structural elements of each subarray in series with one another in series and interconnects each subarray in parallel to create an electrical energy source providing power to the load
System for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy comprising a. The method of claim 1,
Further comprising a co-planar strip (CPS) coupled to each of the resonant structural elements and the associated transfer structure to provide impedance matching between the resonant structural element and the transfer structure. System to convert. The method of claim 1,
At least one transfer structure is a metal double insulator metal (MIIM) diode. The method of claim 1,
At least one resonant structural element is associated with at least one additional transmission structure. The method of claim 1,
At least one transfer structure comprises at least one diode, each of the diode and the resonant structural element comprising at least one layer such that the diode and the resonant structural element can be fabricated using the same process. A system for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy. The method of claim 4, wherein
For each resonant structural element having a plurality of associated transfer structures, the associated transfer structure elements are connected in parallel to the associated structure elements. delete The method of claim 1,
And a ground plane for reflecting radiation not absorbed by the resonant structure back into the resonant structure. A system for converting electromagnetic radiation in the infrared range into electrical energy,
A plurality of nanoantennaes for capturing energy within the spectral range of the electromagnetic radiation and converting the captured radiation into electrical energy, capturing energy at any particular frequency within the spectral range of the electromagnetic radiation The number of nanoantennas assigned to follow the histogram of the spectral distribution of the electromagnetic radiation, the histogram approximating the blackbody spectral distribution for the heat source; And
A bus that collects the converted electrical energy generated by the subarrays of the nanoantennas to provide power to the load
System for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy comprising a. The method of claim 9,
The nanoantennas are configured to provide non-uniform coverage over the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation and to provide greater coverage in the central portion of the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation. System that converts into electrical energy. The method of claim 9,
And the nanoantennas are configured to provide non-uniform coverage over the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation. The method of claim 9,
And the nanoantennas are configured to provide coverage of the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation, approximating the frequency spectral distribution of the electromagnetic radiation. The method of claim 9,
Each nanoantenna is:
Resonant Element Pair-The resonant element pair is tuned to resonate at a first resonant element tuned to resonate at a first resonant frequency included in a frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation and a second resonant frequency included in a frequency range of the electromagnetic radiation. A second resonant element, wherein electrical energy is simulated at the first resonant element in the presence of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency near the first resonant frequency or the first resonant frequency, and electrical energy is simulated at the second resonant frequency. Or simulated at the second resonant element in the presence of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency near the second resonant frequency;
A first CPS coupled to the first resonating elements;
A second CPS coupled to the second resonating element; And
An electromagnetic radiation coupled to the first and second CPSs to convert the electrical energy simulated in each of the first and second resonant elements of each pair of resonant elements into a DC current. System to convert energy into electrical energy. The method of claim 9,
The nanoantennas are included in a film system for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy. delete The method of claim 9,
And an electrical energy grid, wherein the nanoantennas provide a source of electrical energy to the electrical energy grid. The method of claim 9,
And a ground plane for reflecting the radiation not absorbed by the nanoantennas back to the nanoantennas. The method of claim 9,
The system is a thermo photovoltaic (TPV) system, the TPV system includes a heat source and a collector, the collector comprising a plurality of nanoantennas as electrical energy. System to convert. The method of claim 18,
The collector is a NEC film collector (NEC film collector), characterized in that for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy. delete As a method of converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy,
Providing a plurality of subarrays, each subarray comprising resonant structural elements tuned to resonate at a resonant frequency comprised in a frequency range of said electromagnetic radiation, said resonant structure tuned to a particular frequency in each subarray; The number of elements follows a histogram that approximates the spectral distribution of the radiation source that emits radiation and approximates a blackbody spectral distribution, wherein the electrical energy is in the presence of electromagnetic radiation having a frequency near or near the resonance frequency. Simulated in each;
Associating a transfer structure with each resonant structural element in each subarray to convert the simulated electrical energy into direct current;
Connecting each resonant structural element in each subarray in series; And
Connecting each subarray in parallel
Method for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy comprising a. The method of claim 21,
Coupling CPS to each of the resonant structural elements and the associated transfer structure to provide impedance matching between the resonant structure element and the associated transfer structure. The method of claim 21,
Wherein each of said transfer structures is a MIIM diode. The method of claim 21,
Associating at least one additional transmission structure with at least one of the resonant structure elements. The method of claim 21,
The transfer structure comprises at least one diode, and each of the diode and the resonant structural element comprises at least one layer such that the diode and the resonant structural element can be fabricated using the same process. How to convert radiation into electrical energy. The method of claim 24,
For each resonant structural element having at least one additional associated transfer structure, connecting each of said associated transfer structures in parallel with said resonant structure element, converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy. How to. delete As a method of converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy,
Configuring a plurality of nanoantennas to capture energy within the spectral range of electromagnetic radiation emitted by the radiation source approximating the blackbody spectral distribution, wherein the nanoantennas are assigned to capture energy at specific frequencies within the spectral range of the electromagnetic radiation. The number follows a histogram of the spectral distribution of the electromagnetic radiation;
Converting the captured radiation into electrical energy; And
Combining electrical energy produced from each of the nanoantennas to provide power to a load
Method for converting electromagnetic radiation into electrical energy comprising a. The method of claim 28,
And allowing the plurality of nanoantennas to provide uniform coverage over the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation. The method of claim 28,
And allowing the plurality of nanoantennas to provide non-uniform coverage over the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation. The method of claim 28,
And allowing the plurality of nanoantennas to provide coverage of the frequency spectrum of the electromagnetic radiation, approximating the frequency spectral distribution of the electromagnetic radiation. The method of claim 28,
And incorporating the plurality of nanoantennas into a film. The method of claim 28,
And sourcing an electrical device with electrical energy using the plurality of nanoantennas. The method of claim 28,
And sourcing an electrical energy grid with electrical energy using the plurality of nanoantennas. The method of claim 28,
And a ground plane for reflecting back the radiation not absorbed by the plurality of nanoantennas into the plurality of nanoantennas. The method of claim 28,
The method is employed in a TPV system, the TPV system comprising a heat source and a collector. The method of claim 36,
And said collector is a NEC membrane collector. The method of claim 36,
And no filter for causing electromagnetic radiation in the collector's collection band to affect the collector. TPV system,
a. An emitter that sources radiation having a spectral distribution that approximates a blackbody spectral distribution;
b. Collector comprising a plurality of nanoantenna subarrays to capture energy within the spectral range of electromagnetic radiation and convert the captured radiation into electrical energy, each subarray comprising one or more resonant structures, each subarray being specific The number of resonant structures tuned to frequency follows a histogram that approximates the spectral distribution of the emitter; And
c. A bus that collects the converted electrical energy generated by the subarrays of the nanoantennas
TPV system comprising a. The method of claim 39,
The collector is a TPV system, characterized in that the NEC film. The method of claim 39,
TPV system, characterized in that no filter focuses the emitted radiation. The method of claim 9,
And said nanoantennas are spatially dispersed to avoid clustering of antennas having the same frequency.

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